Love Foxxx Remixxx & more.

Calvin Harris may have dented his cred with his Glastonbury frolicking with Dizzee (has anyone looked more out of place?) but his stock has definitely risen again thanks to some stonking remixes he's obviously been working flat out on. Adding his trademark choppy snyth and simple keyboard chords, he's gone and reworked Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Off and On" and made it his own.

[mp3] Sophie Ellis-Bexter - Off and On (Calvin Harris Remix)

Bloc Party have moved so far away from the sounds of 2005 - all angular, arctic monkeys guitar groomed for the dance floor rock- and continue to plug their own ever-farther reaching niche of a sound. New single Mercury is fantastically non-linear, and its only after a few listens that the harking synth effects, twisted vocals and subterranean bass-line begin to unfold. The official remix sees CSS add their sparkly hand-clapping charm, coupled with some tightly molded disco drums and a hash up of Kele's vocals. The result leaves the dance floor beckoning.

[mp3] Bloc Party - Mercury (CSS Remix)

Since touring France, where their quirky synthesizers and unusual instruments (a keyboard you blow into?) have been lapped up, Metronomy have picked up a few French friends it would seem. And a perfect team, The Teenagers and Metronomy make too. The french trio are well known for their deadpan spoken vocals whereas Metronomy tend let their warped melodies and bouncy beats do their own talking. Put the two outfits together, AND add a reworked version of Goldfrapp's latest single "Happiness", and you have yourself a rather unusual, but wonderful sounding pop song.

[mp3] Goldfrapp - Happiness (Remixed by Metronomy Feat. The Teenagers)

Your Soundtrack

Because bandwidth is a bitch, I'm nice and there's been a lot of demand for the Golden Silvers' "Arrows of Eros" track, I've re-upped it along with its more low-key B side.

[mp3] Golden Silvers - Arrows of Eros
[mp3] Golden Silvers Fade to Black

If that wasn't ebough CatCutter records have released a rather nice free mix CD full of sparkling indie gems to see you through the summer. It's but a wee label, but home to many aspiring indie fledglings, of which many are worthy of a place in your library. The mix is 14 tracks but here's just a few tasters. Get the rest at CatCutter Records.

[mp3] Team Waterpolo - Problematic Girls
[mp3] goFASTER>> - NHS Dentist
[mp3] Foxes! - It's Ridiculous, Adam
[mp3] Targets - Familiar Sounds

Nights Out Repenting Sins

Since their massively disappointing debut LP Metronomy have been working overtime to reclaim the excitement that originally surrounded the trio of snyth-crazy electro hot-heads. Alongside a bunch of fantastic remixes they gave us the gloriously fun dance affair "Radio Ladio" and the spellbindingly surreal "My Heart Rate Rapid" and are set to eventually (sep 8) unveil their new full length follow-up Nights Out. Whereas almost all of the first album was snyth and keyboard tinkering, album number two welcomes some vocal work into their twisted-pop world.

Apparently the album is based around the idea of going out and having a crap time. Which doesn't sound too appealing. BUT if it leads to songs of the same quality as "Heartbreaker" then its something i'd be more than willing to invest into. "Heartbreaker", the (probable) next single to be taken from Nights Out takes a more mainstream approach to songwriting. It takes the typical Metronomy bleeps and fuzzed out electro messiness and adds, like full choruses and stuff.

Instrumental "The End of You Too", is how the first album should have sounded. Keyboard and bass seem to bounce off the walls, flying around at all angles. It's a wonderfully rich textured composition of a trademark Metronomy sound, that you can only begin to get to grips with after a few listens.


[mp3] Metronomy - The End of You Too
[mp3] Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy (Metronomy Remix)

Indie Schmindie Madness

I have not been blogging, talking about, reviewing or listening to enough music of late and so to fill this temporary void, please enjoy a (mega sized) post of indie/electro/rap gems. From the electo-infused pop silliness of Late of the Pier to the sad movie-ending-credit styled mourn of Bon Iver, its a lovely rounded mixture.

And yes Li'l Wayne is meant to be in there. Kinda taking a step away from the indie schmindie, but this is too good pop music to be ignored. I was also going to post In this club by Usher, remixed with Li'l Wayne and Rihanna but it was a bit too big. Maybe next time. Having been injected with this kinda stuff in the states its actually quite refreshing to hear it now back in the UK. And though li'l Wayne has an ego to rival rap king Kanye himself and the tendency to choke on his words rather than rap them with any tune, he still manages to sound rather good. See for yourself

[mp3] Pete and the Pirates - Bright Lights
[mp3] Danger 7h46
[mp3] L'il Wayne - Let the Beat Build (Prod. by Kanye West)
[mp3] Bon Iver -Flume
[mp3] Cool Kids - Bassment Party
[mp3] Late of the Pier - Heartbeat
[mp3] The Rifles - I Could Never Lie
[mp3] Black Kids - Party Traumatic
[mp3] Noah and the Whale - Give a Little Love

Tunes Tunes

Time is flying by with the sun shining high. Here are some appropriately seasonal pop numbers to enjoy through summer.

Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys and LA producer Boom Bip have put a whole new spin on the the term concept album with their debut collaboration under the moniker Neon Neon. Its called Stainless Steel and its an 80s themed mix of rap, snyth pop and bubbly pop. Think Back to the Future...

[mp3] Neon Neon - Raquel

A singer-songwriter of sickly sweet, synth topped pop gems, its no surprise that upcoming starlet Lykke Li is a Swedish export. Her album drops in the US in the next couple of weeks and single 'Breaking it up' is one of many highlights.

[mp3] Lykke Li - Breaking it up

White Lies are a living, breathing, shoe-gazing reincarnation of legends Joy Division. Think keyboards, organs, dreamy vocals and 2 note baselines coupled with some mighty fine production.

[mp3] White Lies - Unfinished Business

The Mystery Jets don't get the credit they deserve. Granted the first album was a little straight and narrow, but their second LP 21 oozes with charm. Young Love was an impossibly cheery pop hit and 'Two Doors Down' sparkles with revamped 80s pop gleam.

[mp3] Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down

Some UK Nonsense

Late of the Pier's new single, "Bears are Coming" waves goodbye to 80s synth and welcomes some tribal percussion and an unusual pop hook. Odd video too.

The Whip will release long awaited debut LP X Mark Destination this month. Like Does it Offend You, they're album packs a few rockier numbers alongside the dance hits of "Trash", "Divebomb" and "Sister Siam". After a couple of years recording and touring non stop its about time they got the hard copy out in stores.

[mp3] The Whip - Dubsex
[mp3] The Whip - Save My Soul

Likewise Blood Red Shoes have been amongst the "hotly tipped" for seemingly forever. After an EP, a single release or two and a whole load of touring, 11 tracks have finally made their way onto a shiny disc or two. Its amazing how much noise this duo can make. Its called Box of Secrets, go out and grab it.

[mp3] Blood Red Shoes - You Bring Me Down
[mp3] Blood Red Shoes - Doesn't Matter Much

After Hours

We Are Scientists have a new song. Its very refined, just a couple cords all the way through. My excitement in finding it wasn't matched on my first couple listens. But I'm hoping its a grower.

[mp3] We Are Scientists - After Hours

Miss Marling and Friends

The picture is a bit serious but thankfully its not all doom and gloom. As if recording with Noah and the Whale and releasing and promoting her debut album "Alas I cannot Swim" isn't enough, Laura Marling has teamed up with The Mystery Jets in their new single "Young Love". Marling has a great voice for pop and its nice hearing alongside the bigger sound of Mystery Jets rather than just over her solo stuff. This is definitely feel-good material.

[mp3] The Mystery Jets - Young Love (feat. Laura Marling)

Alongside Marling, there's a whole load of other female musicians making headlines. The whole world seems to be going mad for female voices and happy-go melodies. Duffy and Lykke Li are a just a couple of those with things happening right now.

[mp3] Duffy - Mercy
[mp3] Lykke Li -Dance. Dance. Dance
[mp3] Lykke Li - Complaint Department

Here's a nice little indie-pop number from Mae Shi, taken from their latest LP "Hlllyh". They've been dubbed experimental but with the proliferation of electronica outfits these days, they're nothing too edgy. This song is a lot of fun though.

[mp3] The Mae Shi - Run to Your Grave

Crystal Castles self titled debut is out this month and I am very much looking forward to seeing them in March. Thrash-electro? Here's one of the more tame numbers....

[mp3] Crystal Castles - Vanished

Dance in March

The release of 2008's "it" band, Foals debut LP "Antidotes" is drawing closer. So you don't have to wait so long to catch a listen, here's a little sample. Their style doesn't really exceed that demonstrated in their singles "balloons" and "hummer" - lots of thudding drums, really sharp and shimmering dance melodies and bloc-party-esque wails.

[mp3] Foals - Heavy Water (link removed)
[mp3] Foals -Red Sock Pugie(link removed)
[mp3] Foals -Two Steps Twice(link removed)



March also sees the release of another ever anticipated Kitsune compilation. A little strapped of big names and with too many remixes - another Teenagers' Homecoming remix (really?) - its not as good as the last couple. But hey its still Kitsune.

[mp3] Late of the Pier - Broken (Fairy Lights Mix)
[mp3] DATA - Aerius Light (Kitsune DJ Friendly Edit)

Grand Archives

The Grand Archives are Mat Brooke's ("Carissa's Wierd", "Band of Horses") latest project. Their self-titled debut will appear on shelves from the 19th February and its rather good. A more upbeat and optimistic affair than any of Brooke's work with other bands, the album is genuinely warming. Grand Archives employ the southern twang of Band of Horses (just listen to those harmonicas and steel pedal guitars) but add that little bit more through a whole load of studio experimentation which included using cellos for bass lines, violin bows on guitars and more percussion than you could possibly fit in an 11 track LP. Plenty of overlapping vocal harmonies and simple acoustic guitar chord progression mean this is accessible as indie comes.


[mp3] Grand Archives - George Kaminski
[mp3] Grand Archives - Index Moon

Metronomy Relight

When Metronomy released their first and only album "Pip Paine (Pay back the £5000 you owe) a couple of years ago, the only feeling it left on fans and critics was one of disappointment. After their brilliant single, "You could Easily Have Me", the rest of the album failed to live up to its fantastic effect studded guitar and dance ethos. But new single, Radio Ladio is a return to the brilliance of their first single and hopefully marks a permanent return form. Trademark metronomy effects zip around alongside some justice-like children's choir to create a tune that is both danceable and easy to sing along to.

[mp3] Metronomy - Radio Ladio
[mp3] Metronomy - You Could Easily Have Me


The Mountain Goats are set to return with their sophomore, Heretic Pride. Very much living up to their name, the Goats are the outdoorsy type, mixing simple folk acoustic ballads and some singing thats destined for a campfire setting.

[mp3] Mountain Goats - New Zion


Los Campesinos! are set to release their debut LP without singles "The International Tweexcore Underground" and "You throw parties, we throw knives". Its okay though because there's plenty on there that sound just the same. Not that its bad or anything. Plenty of jing jangling pop goodness in their teen-heavy indie debut.

[mp3] Los Campesinos! - Broken Heartbeats Sound like Breakbeats

They've probably started to run out of money since their days of brit pop success, so Supergrass return in The Verve's footsteps. Their return with "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" is set for the end of March. Sounds a bit like their old stuff mixed in with a bit of Jet. The result is a tad bland.

[mp3] Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha Man

Pop Register's Top of 2007

Though all music critics like to present themselves as an all-seeing, all-knowing messenger of good music, I will admit that 12 months is a long time and I may well have missed some blinders over the last year. Regardless, here are the albums and the songs that the Popregister has adored over the last 12 months. These albums are not ranked in order of their musical complexity or their contribution towards contemporary music, rather are picked because I have enjoyed them most. (and yes, there is no Radiohead!)

The Popregister's Top 15 Albums

1. The Wombats - A Guide to...
- The most fun album of 2007, and for that reason my favorite.







2. Patrick Wolf - Magic Position
- There's no one quite like patrick wolf. His third LP marked his poppiest and best to date






3. Beirut - The Flying Club
- Surpassing his first effort, Beirut this time uses Paris as his primary influence. With a wide arsenal of instruments and a catalogue of styles dating back to the 40s its a layered and pop filled lp.





4. Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
- An American indie band in the top 5! Every time i listened to this album I discovered my new favorite song. A grower of an album and indie pop at its best

5. The Maccabees - Colour it in
- With their jittery post punk guitar tunes and Orlando Week's tremoring warble the Maccabees were quickly cast into the category of post libertines garbage. But given a little time even the most cynical could come around to their trashy, duelling guitars and wailing choruses.

6. MIA - Kala
- Urban, electro, indie, jungle? Probably all and plenty more rolled into the formula. Plenty of pop sounds from the most unlikely of places.

7. Justice - †
- Uncompromising and ultra modern dance tunes. From the pop strings and childlike chorus of D.A.N.C.E. to the grinding, record screeching whirlwind of Stress, its def the best dance album of 2007

8. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
- Kings of American indie return with a southern twang. Plenty of whittling ballads and even some heavier tunes in their sophomore

9. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
- Establishing themselves as rock heavyweights, the slightly less hairy kings return for a third effort. Arena anthems and plenty of growl.

10. Jack Penate - Spit at Stars
- Funky jigs, checkered shirts and plenty of bubbly pop tunes mixed in with some soulful acoustic tracks. What more could you want?

11. The Cribs - Mens Needs..
- Singing along to just a couple of tracks will leave you with a sore throat. Plenty of enthusiastic vocals in this to-the-formula English indie but some great infectious tunes and punchy guitar melodies.

12. Wu- Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
- After seeing them perform on New Years there's no way they aren't making the list. 9 rappers, one group and a whole lot of madness. Wu Tang clan ain't nothing to fuck with!

13. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
- Though the spitting, shouting vocals are a bit much after a while, there's no knocking the lyrical quality (if a bit religious) and fantastic sound of the CWK's debut

14. Digitalism - Idealism
- Perhaps the most like Daft Punk of the emerging new wave of electro outfits. This record will take you around the universe in a futuristic sonic world of bleeps and thumps.

15. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga
- Tends to fizz rather than go off with a bang yet has grown on me along with many others. Inoffensive and highly engaging.


The Popregister's Top 10 Singles

1. Cajun Dance Party - Amylase
- Amazing that a bunch of teens can produce something so brilliant

2. Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time
- Probably the happiest song i've ever heard

3. Lightspeed Champion - Midnight surprise
- 9 minutes long yet I can't stop listening to it from start to finish

4. SebastiAn - Walkman 2
- A rehash of SebastiAn's signature tune. Packs a loads of guts.

5. MIA - Paper Planes
- Kala's best and surprisingly so considering the pop hooks come from firing guns and the kerching of cashiers.

6. Late of the Pier - Bathroom Gurgle
- 80s synth pop rehashed with panache.

7. The Wombats - Backfire @ the Disco
- A chorus that will drive even your neighbors insane. So good it should be illegal

8. The Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
- The pop charts can lay host to a decent track once in a while...

9. The Whip - Divebomb
- Best electro tune of 2007

10. The Cribs - Men's Needs
- Why people listen to indie.


Top 5 Remixes

1. Das Pop - Fool for Love (SebastiAn remix)
- Little known indie band given a new life thanks to trademark SebastiAn

2. The Klaxons - As above as Below (Justice remix)
- A match made in heaven delivers a relic

3. Liars - If fit when I was a Kid (Crystal Castles remix)
- Splashes of Crystal Castles' retro beeps and bleeps sound perfect layered over trademark liars

4. RATM - Killing in the name of (mr Oizo remix)
- What better to mark the return of the best metal band of all time than by bringing one of the their signature tunes into the 21st century

5. Dragonette - I get Around (Midnight Juggernauts remix)
- Camp pop turned dirty electro


3 Most Disappointing Albums

The Twang - Love it when i feel like this
- Well I never thought they were good...

Good Shoes - Think before you speak
- Sounds like an LP of remixes from their only good song, photo on my wall

Black Rebel - Baby 81
- Not a massive flop just nowhere near as good as it should have been.


3 Airwave Whores I love

Chris Brown feat. T Pain - Kiss Kiss
- synth of the vocals makes it sound like bad 90s pop. Always cracks a smile when i hear it though

Soulja Boy - Crank that
- Now whenever someone says the word "you" i think of lil soulja boy

Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
- Discovering Sean Kingston is actually really chubby made this song even more funny.


Top 5 Movies of 2007

I have missed plenty of good movies...

1. Rocky Balboa (a personal and inexplicable obsession)
2. No Country for old men
3. Last King of Scotland
4. Hot Fuzz
5. Babel

Chilled Tunes for Xmas

Exams, other writing commitments and a sheer lack of inspiration has meant that the popregister has been a little neglected over the past few weeks. Xmas is also a busy time for me, hitting up the USA West Coast hot spots, so updates will be scarce. So here's a nice one to keep ya going.

I've never really been a big fan of singer songwriters. I don't even know my Rufus Wainwright from my Willy Mason. To sound a little cliched, the whole solo acoustic/piano ballad is just a bit samey. There's only so much you can do with a voice and one of two instruments. That said, people like Patrick Wolf are really tearing up the genre, mixing electronica effects, multiple instruments and lots of editing. But there's a few artists proving that the down-to-the-bones recipe can still work. The following three maintain a simple sound but manage to stand apart. Expect big things from all of them in 2008.

Adele has the soulful tone of Amy Winehouse, the cockney twang of Kate Nash and choruses so powerful you'd think she was singing about the apocalypse. She's signed to XL records, home to popregister faves Cajun Dance Party and Jack Penate. Her first single "Hometown Glory" received a hearty amount of air time on BBC Radio 1 and her latest single "Chasing Pavements", released next month is likely to take the same route. Adele's sound is rooted in her voice. There's nothing wrong with her sound sonically, but the drums and piano or guitar really just provide the foundations for Adele to let rip with their careering vocals. She must have some hearty lungs because her voice is big.

[mp3] Adele - Chasing Pavements (link removed)
[mp3] Adele - Hometown Glory

Soko is the innocent girl down your street who actually isn't that sweet. With her French accent and playful acoustic guitar work she seems as pure as can be. But her songs are or of bitterness, revenge and even murder. There's a lot of depth to the little voice. Her tunes are wonderfully simple and poppy. You just want to look after her.

[mp3] Soko - It's Raining Outside
[mp3] Soko - I'll Kill Her

Lightspeed Champion is probably the oddest looking guy in the world. He doesn't do himself any favors with his Victorian Englishman dress and chunky framed glasses either. But appearance aside, his sound is quite refined. Simple acoustic scores, the odd violin and a bit of backing represent the Lightspeed construct. Think black version of Patrick Wolf, minus the electronica. I think his "Midnight Surprise" is the only song over 9 minutes to ever break into my top25 most played.

[mp3] Lightspeed Champion - The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine in)

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I also have to say. The new Wu-Tang Record is immense. Have a listen.

[mp3] Wu-Tang Clan - Rushing Elephants

Some Electro Pop Goodness

Joining the ranks of bedroom singer/electro producers is Frankmusik. He's 21, lives in London and likes to play around with some genuinely retro electro samples and twist them into 3 minute pop wonders. He can also knock up a good remix.

[mp3] Frankmusik - Made Her Smile
[mp3] Dead Disco - You're on (FM remix)


Sticking with the working at home vibe are To My Boy, who record all their music on a personal computer. With their drum machines, 80s synth and Bowie style vocals, they're an English Shy Child.

[mp3] To My Boy -In the Zone
[mp3] To My Boy -Model



New York based electro rockers Hearts Revolution are the latest well hyped electro act. With a similar style to Does it Offend You, these producers know how to through a party. Check out their music video below.

[mp3] Hearts Revolution - Domino Effect



With a more contemporary sound are Brighton-based outfit South Central. Known most for their remixes (The Maccabees, Metronomy), they also pack a decent indie/electro tune or two of their own.


[mp3] South Central - Revolution

Architecture In Helsinki @ WOW Hall, OR, 10/31/2007

Halloween marked a fitting night for Architecture in Helsinki to descend upon Eugene’s WOW Concert Hall. With their genre evading, zaney style of pop and energetic displays, the holiday atmosphere proved a perfect platform for the indie deviants.

Opening act, The Jason Webley Quartet soon clicked with the excitable, inebriated crowd. Lead singer Jason played the first half an hour of the set without his backing band, but still had the audience obeying his every order. Before long he had fans spinning in circles, putting their arms around people next to them and dancing to the band’s alternative take on folk rock. And renditions of pop songs including Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” made the little known Seattle based band’s set ring with an air of familiarity.

After meticulous preparation of an impressive arsenal of instruments, Architecure were ready to jazz, raggae, rock and pop things up. With a flamboyant on stage presence that matched the band’s audacious musical style, Architecture in Helsinki reeled through a heavy catalogue of material climaxing with the feverously received, latest single “Heart it Races”. Mixing electro samples, rap, traditional rock melodies and even jungle infused beats, Architecture in Helsinki brought a sound never heard before in the WOW concert hall

Although Architecture in Helsinki are based in Australia, lead singer Cameron Bird lived in Portland for a year and it was in Oregon that he came up with much of the material featured on the band’s first album, “Fingers Crossed”.

Cameron then, must have felt quite at home as he and the rest of the six piece band worked the audience using a brilliant array of instruments ranging from electronic synthesizers to tubas and guitars.

With hundreds of people joined together in a sea of random Halloween costumes, hearing Cameron Bird unleash his unruly rapping skills over the tropically rooted, brass inflected pop jig of “Debbie” never felt more right. With no effort the band slid gracefully through musical genres from the subdued melodies of folk pop “What’s in Store?”, to the jazz infused rap of “Hold Music”.

But for a band with so many styles under its belt, it would be difficult to make these styles work in harmony with one another. No such problem for the Australian art rockers however, with the new sounds of electonica overlapping the classic sounds of jazz with such finesse you would deem it totally everyday. Incredibly, with such variety of threadwork running through the band’s construct, the sound is fantastically accessible and impossibly danceable. Architecture are true performers and even with their multi-skilled and richly influenced cast, they don’t let their experimental edge supersede their wonderfully fun pop sound.


[mp3] Architecture in Helsinki - Heart It Races
[mp3] Architecture in Helsinki - Debbie
[mp3] Architecture in Helsinki - The Owls Go

official site. myspace. wikipedia.

Pipettes @ John Henry's, OR 11/02/2007

John Henry’s bar, Eugene, OR celebrated pop music of the past as The Pipettes brought their retro styled pop to the stage on Friday night.

In an eclectic night of music, the Pipettes’ guitarist and experimental singer song writer Monster Bobby opened with a solo set of conceptual electronica. With his mix of offbeat songwriting and unusual electro samples, the Brighton based artist proved he was more than just part of the backing band of The Pipettes.

Five piece New Yorkers, The Ladybug Transistor then brought the venue back to normality thanks to their classic indie sound. With their female lead singer and pop sensibilities they owe much to indie starlets, Rilo Kiley.

But it was The Pipettes with their lovable, bubble gum pop that really made an impact. Armed with their four piece backing band, the Pipettes swept through songs from their debut LP and their US only EP “Your Kisses are wasted on Me”.

The band’s aim is to get people moving, through energetic power pop tunes and dance acts to accompany each song. This couldn’t be any clearer, with middle aged admirers, punk rockers and die hard fans alike all coming together to party with the UK based indie trio.

Dressed in matching pokadot outfits and distancing themselves from their support band The Pipettes have the visual characteristics of a manufactured pop act. But though some credit goes to “Monster Bobby” and the rest of the band, most of the creative input is channeled through the girls. Rosay, Julia and Gwenno responsible creating most of the songs, the dance moves and even the dresses. All of which came together perfectly on Friday to create an immersive pop experience.

Now familiar with the bigger crowds back home in the UK, The Pipettes showed great showmanship to put on an exuberant show for the modest crowd that descended upon John Henry’s bar.


With their three female lead singers, heavy bass and sparkly guitar melodies the band sounded like a Phil Spector pop act of the 60s with a modern indie twang. The simple piano scores, hip shaking melodies and finger clicking are all there but so is all the polish and gleam of a contemporary pop act as well as modern tales of youth. Whether its the the girl who’s boring but great in bed (“Sex”) or the girl bully who amounts to nothing after school (“Judy.”)

The lyrics of “Pull Shapes” are the perfect reflection of The Pipettes’ spirit. A song designed with only one thing in mind, it’s a fantastic dance floor draw “I just want to dance I don’t care what the song is about”. With its sweeping orchestral score, hand claps and start-stop melody its destined to keep you there too.

The Pipettes are talented producers of a fun pop package. Refusing to take themselves too seriously, the band’s songs and style are all about getting people to dance and enjoy themselves. Modern performers of an old fashioned sound reworked for the naughties, they’re not to be seen as innovators but they put on a brilliantly entertaining show.



[mp3] The Pipettes - Dance and Boogie
[mp3] The Pipettes - Pull Shapes
[mp3] The Pipettes - Your Kisses are Wasted on Me

official site. myspace. wikipedia.

Cheeky Wombats' Review

Granted there has been a lot of Wombats featured on the Pop Register. But the album is here (5th Nov) and there's no ignoring it.

Its called "A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation" and its every bit as good as I expected.

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Seldom does a pop band come along so shamelessly simple and fun, that even the most cynical of critics can’t help but kneel over in their wake. Welcome then, to the world of The Wombats and their charming debut LP “A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation”.

While staying clear of the detrimental qualities of manufactured pop, The Wombats trio boast a genuinely accessible sound while keeping their album fresh and reasonably innovative. There are no worn out stories of drunken romances, lyrics to cringe over or generic “up-beat” melodies. Instead, enjoy fluffy tales of youthful innocence and discovery, delivered via a power pop punch of anthemic choruses and jittery guitar tunes.

For a band still in their early infancy, The Wombats have an impressive catalogue of material. So much so that more than 30 songs had to be worked through in order to decide what was to be on “A guide to…”.

One of the highlights, “Kill the Director” represents everything good about the Liverpool based trio. The song is a homage to the idealistic world of Brit rom-coms in which lead singer, Matthew Murphy compares his own romance to those off the big screen “this is no Bridget Jones…”. It’s a euphoric three minute call to arms – an untamed pop riot that will wear indie/alternative dance floors thin.

“School Uniform” is a wonderfully endearing tale of a school bus romance “you were nine and I was ten…you had a Walkman, all I had was a middle part and a pen”. With its spiky guitar hooks, snappy pace and harmless lyrics, it’s the epitome of fun pop.

The Wombats prove that pop can be as credible as and way more exciting than the latest brooding, leather clad Joy Division descendant. Its radio friendly brilliance and you won’t even feel guilty listening to it.

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Check out the older posts for music.

-----Myspace ------ Official Website ------- Wikipedia -----

The Whip - Sister Sian

I give you some sexual sci-fi fun from The Whip, guaranteed to leave your skin raw with pleasure. That said, its no Divebomb/Trash. Apologies for the influx of music videos but this one is so fresh off the press that it'll be a while before I get my hands on an mp3. You can read more on The Whip and download some of their earlier stuff here.

Couple of Popregister Worthy Singles

Southampton based pop act the Delays have an EP - 'Love Made Visible' - coming out on November 12 and this is the rather colourful video for the lead track. You can preorder the EP here.

Some Slightly Less Young Knives

Now recording for their third album, following 'Voices of Animals and Men' and the 2007 re-released "The Young Knives are Dead', The Young Knives are a long way away from their youthful days of supporting Hot Hot Heat and The Futureheads.

Well known for their decidedly classic English gentlemen attire and appearance - chunky framed spectacles, side partings and tweed blazers - the band boast a quirky yet traditional indie style. Their latest single, released on Transgressive Records, home to The Pipettes, The Rumble Strips and other UK indie talent, is Terra Firma.

[mp3] The Young Knives - Terra Firma


Sticking with the agreeable formula of simple punk style melodies, pranging guitar hooks and a chant style vocal delivery, it would seem the band aren't yet ready to move away from their "Young" roots. Still, I'm not bored of it yet. Check out the B sides, including 'A Cavern' sung by Jeremy 'House of Lords' Dartnell himself.


[mp3] The Young Knives - A Cavern
[mp3] The Young Knives - Back to Back

official site. myspace. wikipedia.